The Times Crossword Friday Masterclass: Episode 33

[@yojimbo301]

I like seeing both Mark and Simon solve cryptics. There is something that each brings to the table that aids my learning. I am currently catching up on the series. Please, keep it up!

[@RichardBreen]

Benjamin Disraeli served as PM in two separate stints, so I think that's where the "twice" in the clue comes from. He did also change his name from D'Israeli to Disraeli, but I don't think that that has anything to do with it.

[@bergnijlpaard]

Came here to say this but beaten to the punch! I though "exegete' was pretty tough

[@bryanroland9402]

Me too. The word "twice" still seems superfluous though. "British PM" would have sufficed@@bergnijlpaard

[@mukboy6594]

In my very novice interpretation of the clue, i thought it meant you only *begin* to *deny* the *lead* twice. Meaning you didn't finish removing the starting letters two times.

[@KestrelQ]

Well this was just phenomenal. Mark truly is a genius 😱

[@dance1211rec]

Disraeli was Prime Minister twice (1868-1874, 1880 - 1881). I think that's what it means.

[@nendwr]

Those are his dates as Leader of the Opposition. He was PM for most of 1868 and then 1874-80.

[@stevewood8]

Reads them out for us, thinks out loud, checks the wordplay, gives us a full explanation, throws in a few alternative definitions and possible red herrings, and then casually writes in the answer, adding the occasional observation that some clues seem to have a link to others (animals, Scotland etc). But then at the end, just in case we weren't already mpressed, we see from the clock that he also appears to have some form of time-dilating superpower...

[@dannymaliana]

"he also appears to have some form of time-dilating superpower..." I don't understand, can you explain what you mean?

[@stevewood8]

@@dannymaliana Even when Mark seems to be taking his time to tell us everything he is thinking, he still ends up with the clock showing a really fast time at the end.

[@dannymaliana]

​@@stevewood8 Understood, wasn't sure if you were trying to say there way editing trickery at play. But you are right, as he is one of the best solvers in the world, even when he is explaining it, he still posts a great time.

[@khaaqshy]

Klebb is in "From Russia with Love." ('63)

[@letMeSayThatInIrish]

I can't solve these at all, but I've found it's quite entertaining to watch an expert do it while explaining. Thanks for doing this, Mark!

[@davidrattner9]

Much appreciation Mark for filling in today! Your explanations for answers are wonderful.

[@KeiFlox]

Good morning/day/night everyone :) Fun to see Mark taking on the Friday xword!

[@emilywilliams3237]

I look forward to every Friday Masterclass - thanks for doing it this morning, Mark!

[@Ruddigore]

A fantastic solve. I'm afraid 'Exegete' would have stumped me completely; one to lock away for future solves.

[@mbstart]

A quick and well explained solve. Poor old Simon would have wasted 10 minutes making use of his dictionary DVD to prove synonyms.

[@azrobbins01]

Love these! Please keep making them!

[@longwaytotipperary]

Yay Masterclass! Thank you for bringing these videos every week! I hope you feel better soon! Great solving!

[@davidrattner9]

❤ Great community minds think alike 🫠

[@longwaytotipperary]

@@davidrattner9 ❤️

[@davidfranklin5426]

The speed with which you got 1A and 1D was astounding. I was proud of myself that I got SEAPORT right away, though 😊

[@zealot2147]

Uncle Sam is also if you look at it, (U)ncle (S) of (Am)

[@Alex_Meadows]

Well done Mark, amazing to watch as ever! And hands up everyone who looked around in alarm at 19:10 to find out why their computer was making noises?

[@maxstunner100]

Unreal, Mark.

[@theskyisteal8346]

I think the verb "to ape" is supposed to evoke the idea of the mimicry being a crude pantomime more suited to being performed by a gorilla or a chimp. There could, of course, be some more interesting etymology that I don't know but would be interested in learning...

[@nigelgraves8784]

If there wasn't a parrot in The Pirates of Penzance, G&S missed a trick !

[@bobstreet2491]

I was convinced you had misspelled "phoenix". You learn something every day 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@XdivineExp]

Love these crossword videos.

[@TrekBeatTK]

Klebb was in From Russia With Love.

[@Anne_Mahoney]

These are such fun, and it's nice to see Mark do them now and then -- he doesn't *only* do the brutally hard Club Specials over on Patreon! So, is Simon in Italy watching the Ryder Cup? Bet he is! Or wants to be anyway. 😸

[@fboag]

I live in Glasgow and am surrounded by football lovers and Mark still got the "Blues on the Clyde" wordplay 10 times quicker!

[@ianangler9482]

First appearance Rosa Klebb - From Russia with Love

[@clara931]

Spending some time in the UK this weekend I might need to see if there is any beginner versions of cryptic crosswords to pick up so I can try and use some of my hopefully new found skills I pick up from these masterclasses

[@Moolers]

It would be cool if Mark and Simon would rotate and do these every other week.

[@azrobbins01]

It might be nice, but I have a feeling they have a lot on their plates at the moment, so it might be a bit much to ask. They probably need some breathing room and let the person with the most free time do it.

[@humphreywilliamsson8010]

13) A Porsche Boxer motor whines.

[@nightwishlover8913]

Found half of that quite easy; 12 and 26 ac were harder: I agree with Mark, 16 ac is hyphenated, and as for spelling loath as "loth" in 16 ac - very surprised. Btw Mark, 21 ac British PM twice refers to the fact that he served two terms as PM. So: some easy, some hard and some VERY hard. Enjoyed it though.

[@AngrySanta]

Uncle Sam got his name reportedly from a meatpacker named Sam Wilson, Though the story is dubious.

[@royston1928]

Nice

[@SirExal]

A boxer (dog) is likely to whine and produce howl, and a boxer (person) is a jabber. Maybe.

[@Raven-Creations]

Disraeli was twice Prime Minister. Mentioning it could be seen as either helpful (if you know), or misdirecting (if you don't). It sounded like the latter for you. Apart from exegete, which is pretty obscure, this was a very easy one for a Friday. I did like 10 down, for it's consistent (totally misleading) theme throughout. It was an easy clue, but nicely constructed. I don't think the paper solvers are necessarily cheats. They may just do the crossword on their commute, and enter the answers to check them. I wouldn't necessarily infer foul play. It's not as if they've anything to gain from it.

[@Maenamburi1]

I was so pleased with myself until you rattled through it. At least we found the same three clues tricky. By the way the biggest question in Glaswegian football is why Glasgow Celtic is pronouced -soft C- Selltic rather than hard C Keltic.

[@George4943]

Fantastic vid. So veddy British we Americans have no chance.

[@ashmeadowphoenix]

James I and VI was the first Stuart of England right? so he would be number 1 among Royal Stuarts. Seems like they were making a bit of a joke about Jimmy Stewart and James Stuart, lol

[@stevefurrier9932]

24:50 Royals could be a spanish soccer team,as Real Madrids nickname is the royals ,James Rodriguez played for Real Madrid,so here is another definition,but uou pronounce the first name as Hamez,csuse he is a Colombian player

[@Vernicho]

Disraeli had separate terms as PM. I always thought it was James Stuart for the royal to me James Stewart was the actor, are both spellings acceptable for the Royal? Non-reader without the hyphen, not sure about that. Another stunning example of how to solve by Mark , always an enjoyable watch, thanks.

[@Raven-Creations]

James is the one among Royals. "Found" = "start", which is outside "we" reversed, i.e. James St-ew-art. Stuart is the English spelling for the royal house. Stewart is the Scottish spelling (and the spelling of Henry Stewart, James's father). I assume it was Anglicised when he became king of England and Scotland to play down his Scottishness for the English (a bit like Saxe-Coburg-Gotha changing their name to Windsor, but only once it became apparent that Germany was losing WW1) I agree it was an impressive display by Mark. When I watch Simon, I pause the video as he moves onto each clue so I get a chance to do it myself. For some of these, Mark had the answer before I'd even read the clue, and missed my chance to pause. That may be partly because he's reading the clues before he clicks, but it's only a fraction of a second head-start.

[@Vernicho]

yes i got the word-play, Mark articulated that but I have never seen an example of that spelling . Mark is super-quick and accurate. Always a good watch these solves with Simon and Mark. @@Raven-Creations

[@sophiec6188]

Please can someone help me understand how 'A rum as' was deduced from the clue? Obviously Rum is a drink but struggling with the rest of the letters.

[@andrewmccormick7363]

Iodine is your I, just from the periodic table, 'a rum' would be 'a drink' and the when is giving you as (as they mean basically the same thing). All heading west, so is going backwards as it is an across clue

[@sophiec6188]

thanks!@@andrewmccormick7363

[@nigelgraves8784]

produce howl could refer to a "boxer" engine, albeit rather vaguely

[@sammason2300]

Does a question mark or an exclamation mark at the end of a clue have a specific meaning in cryptic crosswords?

[@Goryus]

Yes, a question mark usually indicates a pun or non-standard usage of a word.

[@elemenopy7605]

🧠

[@PotmosHetoimos]

16A: N_N_E_D__ My brain: NINTENDOS!!!

[@hermitoldguy6312]

I noticed "Player one"

[@steveblack1662]

The Times crossword on Wednesday had all the letters of the alphabet in the answers. Is there a word for this type of crossword

[@MatthewGilliard]

it's a pangram I think

[@steveblack1662]

@@MatthewGilliard Thanks. I thought a pangram was a sentence which contains all the letters like 'the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog' but it might be the same word for crosswords too

[@archivist17]

18 down was incredibly hard. And 16 across was a pretty lame clue. Thanks for sharing.

[@stevefurrier9932]

Denying the pm twice refers to Prime Minister,and it said denies british prime minister twice,,so it could be a wordplay on Thatcher(znother prime minister),that we denying twice tha,and tch( I think Shakespeare used tha and tch to refer denying in his books) and we have the er,isRaEli,and also can be a historical background,cause i think there was a thing when Israel denied twice some kind of pact with Britain. So it could refer to one of these clues. That's what i could think of to the denying twice the PM